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And the winner is…

A cliff-hanger! In this week’s news, home of the year announced; ATO warns property investors on tax returns; and tips for protecting your garden from marauders

Video Interview: Talking Property with Buyer's Agent Patrick Bright

Buyer’s agents have become prevalent in the real estate landscape over the past decade or so. Patrick Bright is an experienced buyer’s agent who has seen multiple market booms, price corrections, and crashes.

Approvals down, but high

Approvals to build new homes are slowing yet remain elevated, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The result is due to a 11.8 per cent drop in approvals for new houses, which nevertheless remain 44.3 per cent higher than June 2020 and 37.6 per cent higher than June 2019.

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Multi-level cliff home top award

A cascading home that works within its landscape has been named Australian Home of the Year at the 2021 HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards.

The house, by NSW builder Mallinger Constructions, undulates across multiple levels, embracing the steep slope of its location and was featured in Grand Designs Australia.

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Don’t bet the house, ATO warns

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) issued a reminder this week to property investors to beware of common tax traps that can delay refunds or lead to an audit.

In 2019–20, over 1.8 million Australians owned rental properties and claimed $38 billion in deductions. But too many keep making the same mistakes...

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Gardening against marauders

A healthy garden invariably attracts visitors, whether human, bird or animal. Most are a welcome sight – it is always delightful to pause and watch a bluetongue lizard basking in the sun or honeyeaters indulging in grevillea flowers.

Yet other furry and feathered visitors are not always so welcome. How do you keep native critters such as possums and cockatoos from eating or destroying your prize veggies, fruit and flowers?

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Ban bindii now

Love your summer garden but hate having bindii all through the lawn? August is the best month to remove it for good, before it sets those nasty seeds in spring.

The safest, chemical-free way is by hand, with a weed-remover fork, or by pouring boiling water on each plant. But if your lawn is too big for that, or overrun with the devilish weed, see your local nursery for a selective herbicide.

Can’t judge the walls by the cover

The idea of ‘reading on the loo’ is not a new one, but a historic house in London has re-written the book.

The house, which was once home to Captain Bligh (of Mutiny on the Bounty infamy) is currently listed for sale, and while it looks unassumingly historic on the outside, the interior décor could cause many to ‘jump ship’. But it’s the bathroom that took us most by surprise: at first glance it looks like a library/study, until you spot the toilet in the corner and realise the ‘books’ lining the walls are actually wallpaper!